Never Tickle a Sleeping Gryffindor
by Ahh Siriusly
Summary: Parallel to DH. How does the Gryffindor House react when Harry, Ron, and Hermione don't return for their final year? They must band together. If they don't, it means serious consequences. The story of those left behind.
1. Alea iacta est

**Chapter 1: Only the Beginning**

"_The ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._"

These words had barely echoed off the walls before chaos erupted. There was barely any time to scream before people were disappearing left and right, Disapparating by those who could, those who couldn't hung on to those that could. Only a moment had passed before shadows of black robes and masks appeared, taking on any opponent in their path.

There was no time for Molly Weasley to be scared. There was a battle to be won, and it would be won on her own terms. Her faceless opponents all had a common goal: to find Harry Potter. Molly hadn't seen him in over an hour; the last time she spotted the red-headed Harry was during his conversation with Viktor Krum. This battle didn't last any more than five minutes; after it was decided that Harry _wasn't_ here, the Death Eaters left just as quickly as they came.

Walking quickly from behind a row of bushes was an angry-looking Minerva McGonagall. She hadn't been able to come to the wedding or reception, but the appearance of Death Eaters around members of the Order of the Phoenix—and especially Harry Potter—worried her greatly and she Apparated immediately to the Burrow on Kingsley's say-so.

"Where is he?" Minerva demanded, her wand clenched tightly in her right hand. Molly had only remembered Minerva this combination of worried and angry once before, during the First War when Lily and James Potter were killed.

"We don't know," Molly said. "Ron and Hermione are gone as well."

Remus Lupin was making fast strides towards the two women. His dress robes were tattered and he was sporting a large gash on his left arm. "They left-Disapparated."

Minerva turned towards Remus. "I'm calling a meeting. I want the Order alerted and here within the hour. We have some serious news to discuss."

With that, Minerva McGonagall turned on her heel and headed straight into the Burrow. Remus sent out his Patronus, and without a second thought, headed into the house.

The Burrow was completely untouched by the outside events. The house was immaculately clean, if not overcrowded, but still the only piece of in-tact building within the vicinity of what were once the Ministry's powerful defensive spells. Remus placed his wand back in his pocket and allowed his mind to wonder to Harry. Where was he? What was he doing? Was he safe? His face had a distorted look of pain and worry.

Minerva sensed Remus's worry, but didn't allow her emotions to show. She had to act quickly. Since the Ministry had now fallen, Hogwarts would surely now be under Lord Voldemort's control. She would no longer be Headmistress, and her power to protect her students would be out of her hands.

Fred and George Weasley were the first of the Order to come inside. Without the looks of mischief on their faces, both Fred and George looked downright depressed. They sat silent on the couch, looking towards their former professor for any hint of instruction. Minerva felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the gaping hole on the side of George's head. Arthur had mentioned the incident and Minerva was immediately appalled by her former colleague's behavior, especially as it was aimed at one of _her students_.

Minerva was immensely protective over her Gryffindors. The sight of George made her cringe—and then realize that the war was all to near. She had moved on from Albus's death long ago, but having to look at the oddly-sewn skin was an another unfriendly reminder of the significance of the destruction.

"Cat got your tongue, Professor?" Fred finally asked. Minerva snapped back to reality, only to realize she had been staring at George.

George snickered. "Its two sickles to stare, and ten if you want to touch."

_Leave it to the twins to make a joke at a time like this_, Minerva thought to herself. She gave her famous glare to both of the twins and then put her focus back on the accumulating members in the room. To her left, Ginny was examining the bruises on her body while Molly and Arthur looked on. Remus and Tonks were to her right, both in a deep conversation Minerva was sure she didn't want to hear. Kingsley had just walked through the door and was approaching her—

"We don't have much time, Minerva. We need to mobilize and they could be back any second," Kinsley said.

"They're not going to come back if Harry's not here, and since he is currently traveling," Molly nodded to her clock, "they won't come back for a while."

Minerva and Kingsley had operated as co-heads of the Order since Albus's death. Kingsley had many more Ministry contacts than Minerva did, and so he operated as the Ministry arm. Hogwarts was always a vital part of Lord Voldemort's life and plan, and so Minerva tended to make decisions that pertained to the school. She also tended to make decisions regarding Harry. She and Remus both had his best interests at heart and tended to agree on many fronts.

Once Minerva saw that a majority of the Order was assembled- plus a few extras- Minerva cleared her throat and the room quieted down.

"There is no doubt in my mind that You-Know-Who will be taking control of Hogwarts. I will surely be removed as Headmistress and I can only imagine who will be taking my spot." Minerva felt herself shudder. Her eyes moved to Ginny, the only one in the room who would be back at Hogwarts.

"I don't think it is wise for Harry to return," Minerva began. In her entire teaching career, Minerva had never told a student _not_ to return.

Molly looked on the verge of tears. "He's not coming back, Minerva. Neither or Ron or Hermione."

Minerva nodded. "Probably for the best."

"How much can we do until You-Know-Who makes a move?" Tonks asked, her hair changing to a fiery red.

"Not a lot, I'm afraid," Kingsley stepped in. "The Death Eaters don't know Harry isn't coming back. We'd best keep that to ourselves. We're going to need to step-up the protection at King's Cross anyway. Molly, I think the entire Weasley family should accompany Ginny this year. We'll do our best to get some of the Order there—Tonks, Remus?"

Remus looked at Tonks. He squeezed her hand and smiled. "We'll do it."

"What about Harry?" Ginny spoke up. Her eyes darted between Remus and Minerva.

"He's a grown wizard now. We can't go running after him, as much as we might want to. That puts him in much more danger than he already is now," Kingsley said. His words were harsher than Ginny wanted to hear.

"Do we have any idea of who's going to be running the school?" Arthur asked.

"Our best guess—and this was Albus's, as well—is Severus. You-Know-Who will probably place several more Death Eaters in the school. We've heard several names mentioned, but nothing concrete." Kingsley hesitated being more specific.

"But who would He trust enough to place in Hogwarts? Certainly not Bellatrix, definitely _not_ Lucius Malfoy. Who are Draco's two best friends?" Tonks asked.

"Crabbe and Goyle," Minerva said immediately. "If brains are inherited, then I highly doubt You-Know-Who would send those two _fools_ to run Hogwarts!"

"Minerva has a point. I've taught Crabbe and Goyle and they're not exactly the best wands in the store," Remus added.

Minerva sighed. Since the disappearance of Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher (Kingsley confirmed she had been murdered, after all), there was no doubt in Minerva's mind that whomever Voldemort would send to run Hogwarts, everyone within the castle would be in great danger.

"Do you have a plan, Minerva?" Molly asked. She was rubbing Ginny's back.

"Truthfully, no. I've been in constant contact with Filius, but there's only so much I can put in letters and the staff isn't back from holiday. They're not to report back until another week," Minerva explained.

"Then a week it is," Molly said quietly. "Arthur, let's see if we can't track down Ron."

"We can't have them contacting us. They'll be killed if their location is revealed. I have a sneaking suspicion they're at Grimmauld Place. Arthur, send your Patronus. That should be all the contact we have with them for the time being."

Remus spoke quietly. He stood up, took Tonk's hand, and with a few quick good-byes, the two were off.

Molly approached Minerva once the crowd that had gathered in the drawing room began to disperse. Ginny was limping up to her bedroom and out of earshot.

"I'm so sorry Bill's wedding had to end like this," Minerva said quietly.

"Everyone is safe. That's all I care about," Molly replied. She smiled sadly and her voice went down to a whisper. "I'm worried about Ginny. She was a staunch supporter of Harry and Dumbledore. I shudder to think what might happen if Severus is in charge. With Ginny being Ron's sister and so close to Harry…"

"Even if I am removed as Headmistress—which I most certainly will be—I am still head of Gryffindor house. I will do everything in my power to make sure Ginny is safe. _All_ of my students, Gryffindor or not, have the right to be protected. I will not allow anyone to come in and use unnecessary actions. You have my word, Molly." Minerva peered down at her former pupil through her glasses.

"What are you and Arthur going to do about Ron?" Kingsley asked. "They'll be after him."

This time, Fred and George stopped through Molly.

"Allow us," Fred began. He bowed low, and pointed the way for Minerva and Kingsley up the stairs.

The unusual group made their way up the rickety old stairs of the Burrow. The attic was cramped with four adult wizards bent down attempting to avoid the low ceiling. The attic was crowded and dusty, but George managed to maneuver over the piles of boxes to a small back corner.

"Come on out now, you stupid git," George yelled. Neither Fred, Minerva, nor Kingsley could see what George was doing, but they could tell he was struggling. Soon his heavy breathing subsided, and soon George led over a monstrous-looking creature.

Minerva gasped, half-tempted to pull out her wand. Once she realized Fred and George were playing with—whatever it was—she relaxed.

"What is that?" Kingsley asked. Minerva could tell he was half-tempted to pull out his wand too, but thought better.

Whatever it was, it had bright red hair and postules all over its body. It was clothed in a wretched old pair of pajama bottoms and a Chudley Cannons t-shirt.

"Professor, Kingsley, I would like to introduce you to Ronald Weasley," Fred said proudly. The ghoul moaned.

"With spattergroit," George added.

"That is the most foul thing I have ever seen," Minerva said, surveying the creature in front of her with disgust.

"Dad did the Transfiguration bit with the red hair and all. George and I got all the little postules on there. Funny how much it looks like the newest sweet we're inventing," Fred said, admiring his work.

"Does anyone else know about it?" Kingsley asked.

"Doubtful," Fred said.

"Let's keep it that way," Kingsley said. "I really must be getting back to the Ministry. They'll be suspicious if I'm gone this long."

"Cheers, Kingsley. Come 'round the joke shop sometime. We'll give you great discounts," Fred said.

With a smile, Kingsley was gone, leaving only the twins and their former professor. The awkward silence that followed them down the stairs was still present when the twins and Minerva entered the drawing room to find Ginny in a hysterical fit and Molly attempting to calm her down.

"This will only hurt for a second. I just need you to _hold still_!" Molly violently took Ginny's left leg.

As Minerva moved closer, she could see the distinct outline of a broken bone. Her tibia was broken in at least two visible places.

"Whoa, Gin! Nice going," Fred admired.

"It was that stupid git Yaxley," Ginny managed. "I dunno what he did, but it bloody hurts!"

With a flick of Molly's wand, Ginny's leg was repaired. The pain was still etched on Ginny's face even though the movement of her leg was regained. Taking a deep breath, Ginny removed her hands from her mother's shoulders and limped over to faded green couch before sitting down.

"I must be going Molly. Keep me updated," Minerva said.

Molly nodded. "Of course. Take care. We'll be in touch."

Before Apparating, Minerva turned to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, you did quite well on your Transfiguration O.W.L. I would encourage you to get a head start on your studies."

"Of course, Professor. Thank you," Ginny said, smiling.

"Same applies to you, Professor. Come by the shop. We'll give you the best discount we can!" George cried.

"We'll even throw in a few portable swamps," Fred chimed in.

With all the self-restraint she could manage, Minerva Disapparated back to Hogwarts.


	2. Fortes Fortuna Iuvat

**(A/N: This chapter skips around time-wise, but it goes roughly from the time Severus is announced to the Hogwarts staff as Headmaster and the night before the Hogwarts Express leaves. All in all, around a week and a half)**

**Chapter 2: Fortes Fortuna Iuvat**

More than three weeks had passed since the Ministry had fallen, but it had only taken three weeks for the Wizarding world to fall apart. In the short time that Pius Thicknesse had been named Minister of Magic, already a registration of Muggle-borns had begun and today would be the day the new Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be named. Kingsley had confirmed two days ago that the new Headmaster would indeed be Severus Snape, but Minerva's sneaking suspicions told her there would be more bad news at the Staff meeting.

Minerva walked down the steps to the Staff Room on the main floor. Owing to her punctuality, Minerva would be at least fifteen minutes earlier than the rest of her staff. Pushing open the large oak door, she entered the room.

"Minerva, you're early, as always," a voice greeted her.

Congregating near the fireplace were three bodies- one belonging to Professor Snape. He emerged from the shadows, his black cloak billowing behind him. As he entered the light, Minerva could see the past few months had not been kind to him. There were dark circles under his eyes and the lines in his face were etched deeper than before. He looked more than tired- he looked exhausted, that if he ever sat down he would sink into an eternal slumber.

"Severus, I can't say it's good to see you again," Minerva said icily.

Ignoring the comment, Severus motioned for the two other bodies in the room to come forward. Holding her breath, Minerva watched as a young witch and wizard moved forward. Breathing out, Minerva instantly recognized the pair.

"Alecto and Amycus Carrow," Minerva said. "Back at Hogwarts? I thought I would never see the day."

The Carrow siblings, if Minerva recalled correctly, cursed Hogwarts the very day they left. Amycus and Alecto were roughly the same age as Severus, if not a few years younger. Alecto was the older of the two, a short, stocky woman with a sneer of disgust permanently etched on her face. Her brother was equally as short and stocky, with a lopsided smile and a receding hairline which did no justice to his youth.

The two were never particularly good students and had joined right up with the Death Eaters immediately after graduation. Once Voldemort was defeated the first time, Amycus and Alecto were some of the first Death Eaters to renounce their old ways, believing Voldemort to be gone forever.

"Amycus will be our new Muggle Studies teacher. She's going to revolutionize the subject, I'm sure. Alecto will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts," Severus said with a prideful smile.

"Only it won't be called 'Defense Against', will it?" Amycus sneered.

"I don't follow," Minerva said, eyeing the trio.

Severus clasped his hands together. "Oh the announcement will come soon enough. I don't want to spoil the surprise. Please, have a seat. Once the staff arrives, we can begin."

Watching Alecto hide a snigger, Minerva took her usual seat at the large table in the middle of the room. Her seat was to the left of the largest table at the head of the table, reserved for the Headmaster. The thought that Albus Dumbledore would not be seated to her right for the first time in over forty years was a daunting realization.

Sitting in silence, Minerva watched the rest of the staff slowly trickle into the room. Filius took the seat immediately to her left once he arrived, conjuring up a stack of seat cushions to sit on. Despite his small stature, Filius was an excellent wand handler. He knew tricks Minerva didn't. Even with his skill, Minerva couldn't help but think what Death Eaters like the Carrows would do to Filius.

The last to arrive was Sybil. She look positively violated as she entered into the crowd of people, almost offended she had to descend from her tower into the realm of normalcy. Taking the last empty chair next to Severus, the staff was all finally assembled.

Minerva looked around the room. Septima Vector was staring off towards the wardrobe on the far left of the room. Hagrid was squeezed in the back of the room by Pomona, who looked equally as uncomfortable. Next to her, Filius had both hands under the table, his wand in his right. Only when Minerva allowed her gaze to shift to her lap, she realized that she was gripping her wand tightly, too.

"Now that we are all assembled," Severus began. He stood up and the Carrows followed suit. "First off, I would like to say that I will be the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, appointed by the new Minister of Magic."

With one sharp intake of breath, the entire room gasp. Whispers erupted as neighbors immediately discussed the new development of Hogwarts with one another. The only one who wasn't caught by surprise was Minerva and she didn't dare share the news with anyone.

Severus held up his hands to silence his colleagues. The whispering subsided. Severus first turned to Amycus, who was ringing his hands in excitement. A twisted smile spread across his face as Severus began to introduce him.

"Our new _Dark Arts_ teacher, Amycus Carrow," Severus announced. "He plans on revolutionizing how and what we teach our students. A new Ministry curriculum with accompany his appointment. I hope I can count on you to welcome him with a wonderful Hogwarts welcome."

There was some sparse and polite clapping that didn't last for very long. Once the room was silent once more, Severus turned to Alecto. She had the same, lopsided grin as her brother.

"The Ministry has decided to make Muggle Studies a mandatory class for _all_ students this year," Severus began, "and Alecto Carrow has graciously agreed to teach it!"

Alecto bowed, causing looks of disgust from nearly half the staff. Alecto sat down, leaving on Severus standing.

"Now, we some other business to discuss." The tone in the new Headmaster's voice was serious. His dark eyes peered at Minerva. "Magical education will now be made compulsory for every student within the realm of our Ministry. Minerva, I believe you are in charge of the sorting. I hope you are capable of handling the influx of students?"

Minerva resisted the urge to snort. She nodded curtly before gripping her wand tighter. She felt someone brush against her back and with a slight turn of her head, Minerva saw Hagrid attempting to move behind her. Even so, it was going to take more than a half-giant to protect her.

Everything that Severus said in the meeting did not come as a surprise for Minerva. Kingsley had owled her several days before with all of the information Severus was going to talk about. _Muggle studies, Dark Arts, mandatory education…_

What Severus said next, though, shocked Minerva.

"We must now discuss our disciplinary actions. I fear our pathetic attempts at disciplining our students has only caused them to disobey even more. Therefore, we will be enacting a new system of punishment. Educational Decree number thirty-one gives us, as educators, the right to use the Cruciatus Curse and other dark hexes as a form of punishment for our misbehaving students."

The Carrows cried out in glee and a terrible smile spread along Severus Snape's face. Minerva held her breath. She could clearly hear the whisperings coming out of Hagrid's mouth: "Albus Dumbledore would never…"

Minerva struggled to keep a straight face. She never had much luck with education decrees, especially with Dolores Umbridge. After Decree number thirty effectively negated decrees twenty-one through twenty-nine, Minerva never thought she would see or hear of them again. But she was still Deputy Headmistress, if not in title, then in heart. There would be no way that Minerva McGonagall would ever use such punishment on her students. The meeting droned on for another quarter of an hour, and once it was over, the staff found it hard to leave the room.

The Carrows and Severus were the first to leave the room. There was a very pregnant silence afterwards. Sibyl was the first to leave, followed by Septima and Aurora Sinistra. Filius placed his wand on the table and turned to Minerva.

"They can't be serious, can they?" Filius asked quietly. "The Cruciatus Curse? On _students_?"

"I'm afraid they are," was all Minerva could manage.

Hagrid knocked over three chairs and nearly crushed poor Poppy Pomfrey as he tried to make his way out the door. The staff room was clearing now, and soon only Filius and Minerva remained. The silver gleam of a ghost radiated through the room. Minerva looked up to see Nearly Headless Nick hovering the air.

"Minerva, what are we going to do? We must protect our students!" Filius cried.

"We must ban together," the ghost said. "We've done it before. We can do it again."

"I quite agree with Nick." Minerva stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her green robes. "Filius, if you'll excuse me. I have lesson plans to prepare. We mustn't let our students down."

With that, Minerva left the ghost and the charms professor in the room.

--

A bright ray of sunshine awoke Neville Longbottom from his deep slumber. Rolling over in his bed, his left arm flopped lazily into his bedside table, knocking off yesterday's Daily Prophet. On the downturned page was the headline "_Wanted for Questioning: Muggle Borns" _and the name 'Hermione Granger'.

Groaning, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed so his feet were touching the ground. Neville picked up yesterday's paper and scanned the front page. Even though he had the entire article nearly memorized, his heart still skipped a beat when he read Hermione's name being among the wanted.

"Neville! Time for breakfast!" His grandmother's magnified voice echoed throughout the room.

Putting on his scarlet slippers, Neville trudged downstairs. Sitting at the table was his grandmother, a rather dumpy old woman with tightly bound silver hair.

" 'Morning," Neville said.

He sat down at the table, grabbing three pieces of buttered toast to put on his plate. After taking a long drink of his pumpkin juice, he began putting as many pieces of toast in his mouth as he could to stop his rumbling stomach.

"Don't eat so fast, you'll get sick," his grandmother warned. Her eyebrow disappeared into her hairline.

They sat in silence, as they both often do during breakfast. Augusta Longbottom sipped her tea and Neville attempted to shove as much food in his mouth as possible.

"Did you hear, Neville darling? Ron Weasley's come down with spattergroit. He's too sick to make it back to Hogwarts."

Neville nearly choked on his toast. It wasn't until after his house-elf, Teensy, hit him hard on the back was he able to talk.

"Sp…sp…spattergroit?" he stammered.

"I spoke with Arthur Weasley yesterday. The Ministry's confirmed it."

Neville sat in silence again. He fought alongside Ron at the Ministry just a few months prior and he looked _fine. _Perfect condition, if you dismissed all the scrapes and bruises.

His grandmother's face softened, and she made a motion to hold out her hand for her grandson, but reached for her glass of milk instead. After taking a long drink, she set down her glass.

"How about we go to St. Mungo's today? To visit your Mum and Dad," she said.

"But it's not a holiday," Neville replied.

"True, but you haven't seen them in a while. You ought to," she said gently.

Neville shrugged and finished the last of his toast. It had taken his grandmother nearly a year to realize the grandson she had. Despite her disappointment with his O.W.L.s, Neville's Gryffindor courage in the face of battle had earned him higher marks than any testing could ever do. Sure, he might be an abysmal Potions maker and acceptable in Transfiguration, but he was still his parents' son. Two of the finest Aurors to ever walk the halls of the Ministry. Their death would not be in vain, Neville would make sure of it.

"We'll be leaving in a half hour," Mrs. Longbottom said. Neville stood up and stretched. "We'll be going to Hogsmeade as well. Let's make this a quick trip. I don't want to be there for too long."

Sighing, Neville trudged upstairs to change for the day's activities. Neville placed his wand securely in his back pocket and went downstairs. Today was an odd day, and Neville felt the upcoming school year was going to be even worse.

--

Ginny struggled to pack her school trunk. The Ministry officials had literally torn the house apart looking for signs of Harry Potter three days prior. Ever since magical education was made mandatory, her father had to report Ron's "illness" much sooner than he had wanted. Ministry officials came, saw, and destroyed before they left.

Perhaps they were killing two birds with one stone, investigating why Ron wasn't registered for the Hogwarts Express and checking for possible hiding spots of Harry Potter. These reasons didn't matter for Ginny, because the Hogwarts Express was leaving tomorrow and she still couldn't find her robes. Her room, normally kept very neat and tidy, was a complete disaster. Her Holyhead Harpies poster had been torn off the wall and was now lying in a heap on the ground. Her clothes were thrown everywhere.

"MUM! I can't find my robes!" Ginny called through her open door.

"I'll be up in a minute!" was her mother's reply.

Cursing the very ground the Ministry of Magic operated on, Ginny continued her frantic search for her robes. After a quarter of an hour, Ginny was exhausted. Leaning up against her bed, she brushed her hair out of her eyes and stared out her window. The light from outside had left her long ago, leaving the unwanted darkness to encroach her personal space.

Ginny moved slightly to the left, ripping the piece of paper her left foot was on. Muttering profanities to herself, Ginny picked up the ripped parchment. These were her O.W.L. scores. Professor McGonagall's cryptic message the night of Bill and Fleur's wedding made much more sense once this letter arrived. Ginny joined the ranks of Bill, earning an outstanding twelve O.W.L.'s. Ginny didn't feel like celebrating her feat, but her mother managed to buy her a new robe. She wished she could gloat in Ron's face, or share we happy news with Harry and Hermione, but they were all gone, and Ginny was left by herself.

An out-of-breath Mrs. Weasley popped through Ginny's door. Her hair was slightly rused, and hints of dirt decorated her left cheek.

"I've just finished up the downstairs. That should be good for tonight. I'll finish the rest in the morning. Have you found your robes yet? And why isn't your room clean?"

"I can't find them _anywhere_. I've made my room messier," Ginny explained.

This was true; the only clean portion of Ginny's room was at the foot of Ginny's bed. Her trunk was half open and still half packed. Her books, Potions materials, new pens, and random items were scattered at the bottom, but there was still a large empty space for her robes.

With a weary look in her eye, Molly raised her wand and cried, "Accio robes!". Ginny's left closet door fell to the ground as a heap of robes landed at Ginny's feet. Molly look defeated.

"I'll just have your father put that back up tomorrow," she said, before leaving the room.

Ginny folded her deeply wrinkled clothing and placed them within the trunk. She was finally packed. Pushing off the debris that had accumulated on her bed, Ginny flopped onto her bed into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Cuivis dolori remedium est patientia

**A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed. I appreciate your comments and constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 3:** **Cuivis dolori remedium est patientia. **(Patience is the cure for all suffering)

The whispers and murmurs coming from the kitchen grew louder and louder until Ginny had to open her eyes. _Who in Merlin's name was talking this loudly so early in the morning?_ Ginny thought. She blinked several times until her vision became clear. The light outside indicated it was still too early to even think about getting out of bed. Despite the softness of their voices, Ginny could pick out all three: her mother's, her father's, and her eldest brother Bill's.

"We all knew this was coming," Bill said.

"I never thought it would be true," Mrs. Weasley replied.

Ginny could hear the faint _tap-tap-tap_ of Bill's fingernails on the tabletop, a habit he only did when nervous.

"What does this mean?" Bill asked. For being the eldest Weasley son, and arguably the strongest, Ginny could hear weakness in his voice.

Mrs. Weasley answered. "With Severus as Headmaster--" Ginny took in a sharp breath of air. "— I can't imagine _what _You-Know-Who is planning!"

Ginny's head began spinning. Feeling a sudden jolt of energy, she sat up in bed. She attempted to maneuver across her debris-ridden floor towards her door on the other side of her room. There would be no way to find any Extendable Ears in time to hear the rest of the conversation downstairs.

The next voice, her father's, was careful and slow to speak. "I briefly spoke with Kingsley yesterday. We met in passing. He mentioned that Minerva sent him an owl." His voice went low, down to a whisper. Ginny moved as close to the door as she possibly could, hear ears strained to hear what he was saying.

"Minerva was positively _livid._ I'm surprised she didn't send a Howler, but you know how she is. Molly, do you remember the Carrows?"

There was silence. Ginny thought the three were whispering too quietly for her hears and moved closer towards the hallway. Just as Ginny put her fingers between the door and the frame to wedge open the large oak structure, footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Ginny was glad her house was so old because the creaky stairs covered up the noise she made tripping over objects as she hurried back to her bed. The moment Ginny was back in bed and the covers pulled around her, her door opened slowly.

"Ginny, dear? It's time to get up," Mrs. Weasley's voice floated throughout the room.

Ginny pretended to stir, stretching her already warm muscles and pulling the covers up over her head to block out the light from the hallway.

Mrs. Weasley chuckled and made her way through the cluttered floor, carefully stepping over the items that were still strewn all over. She reached the bed and pulled the covers down off Ginny's face.

"I know you're not sleeping. It's time to get up or we'll be late for the train," Mrs. Weasley said sweetly. She learned closer to her daughter and whispered in her ear. "You'll find out soon enough."

Mrs. Weasley bustled out of the room. Ginny was still, making sure the creak of the stairs subsided before she got up. Ginny's strength seemed to have left her sometime in the night and for five minutes Ginny wrestled the blankets until she was free. She dragged her feet across the floor until she reached her closet, 

and pulled out the first fresh pair of clothes she could find. Leaving her trunk in her room for one of the men to carry down, Ginny stumbled downstairs.

Bill was still sitting at the table and was now accompanied by the _Daily Prophet_. Mr. Weasley was nowhere to be found, and had Ginny not woken to the earlier conversation, she would have guessed he had never been in the kitchen at all. Mrs. Weasley was at the stove, stirring a pot of porridge before Ginny made her way to Platform 9 ¾ . As Ginny reached the edge of the table, Bill folded up the newspaper and stood up.

" 'Morning, Gin," he said.

Ginny mumbled incoherently and nodded in her brother's direction. He raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask her to decipher what sounded like Mermish. Watching Ginny sit down at the table, Bill fondly remembered his own days at Hogwarts. He remembered the rush of excitement and happiness as Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup… a murderous-looking Professor Snape the time Bill spilled a half-made potion all over the professor's robe, causing them to catch fire… an irate Professor McGonagall shouting near-obscenities at the entire Common Room after another late-night Quidditch celebration…

Bill's thoughts drifted to Professor Dumbledore. Bill couldn't remember a time that he ever had a one-on-one conversation with the Headmaster, but the space Albus Dumbledore occupied in his heart and memory was quite large. The twinkle in the old man's blue eyes seemed to shine upon all those who sat in front of him. Bill tried to explain his fondness for the man to Fleur, but the French seemed to view their Headmasters as instructors who are to be feared, not loved.

A loud knock on the door and the following giggle brought Bill back to the scene in front of him. Ginny was nearly done eating her bowl of porridge, and his mother had her wand out and was walking to the door.

"It is I, Remus Lupin, also known as Moony, husband of Nymphadora Tonks. Our codeword is _Mad-Eye_."

Molly deemed this was the necessary information to prove Remus's true identity and so she opened the door. The Order had devised a plan of identification: each member would first introduce their names, any nicknames, their spouse, and then the code word for the week. This exact order had to be followed, and should any change be made, the others would know something was wrong.

This idea worked quite well, except during the first week when Tonks accidently omitted her nickname, causing Mrs. Weasley to go into a panic and nearly curse the poor woman into oblivion.

That was not the case today as Remus and Tonks entered the room, hand-in-hand. Both looked tired and pale.

"You saw the _Prophet_, then?" Tonks asked gravely. Ginny noticed her hair wasn't its usual color of bubblegum pink.

"Afraid so," Mrs. Weasley responded.

Ginny was confused. Bill had the paper when Ginny came downstairs, and now it wasn't anywhere in sight.

She looked up at her mother. "Since when did we start reading that rubbish again?"

Mrs. Weasley exchanged a significant look with Bill.

"Since Severus Snape was promoted as Headmaster," Bill sighed.

Ginny had nearly forgotten the conversations she heard early this morning. A cold tingle ran down her spine. _Severus Snape_. Memories of Potion classes and his unforgiving sneer crept through her mind.

"Are you nearly ready to leave?" Remus looked at Molly.

She nodded. "Ginny's trunk is still upstairs. Bill, would you mind?"

Bill nodded, and walked up the steps to Ginny's room. A few seconds later, Ginny's trunk was floating down the steps, as if held up by invisible strings.

Ginny gulped down the last of her porridge and made sure her wand was securely in her back pocket. She wasn't sure how they were getting to the train station; the Floo Network was disconnected and Portkeys were outlawed.

"Have you ever done Side-Along Apparation?" Tonks asked. Ginny shook her head.

"There are several rules and guidelines you must know and follow," Remus began.

"There's no time for that!" Molly hissed. "We'll be late for the train. Ginny, grab on."

Molly held out her left arm for her daughter. Ginny grabbed onto her mother and before anyone knew what was going on, Ginny found herself standing in a run-down Muggle bathroom. Bill and Ginny's trunk appeared behind them, and Remus and Tonks looked bored near the door as they waited for the others to catch up.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, not recognizing her surroundings.

"Don't ask questions, and stay close," Remus warned.

The group left the bathroom and turned left into the throng of people. At once, Ginny recognized her surroundings to be King's Cross Station. Muggles raced past them, trying to get to their trains on time. Ginny recognized some students from Hogwarts struggling with their carts and various caged animals, attracting some odd looks from other patrons.

Bill's hand was firmly on Ginny's shoulder as they walked to Platform 9 ¾. Despite the fact that magical education was now compulsory, Ginny felt the platform was relatively empty. Perhaps it was the fact she had barely managed to make it on time, or the fact this was the first time she had entered the platform without Ron or Harry, but Ginny felt completely and utterly alone.

The train whistle came as a warning and a friendly reminder of its departure.

"Take care of yourself. Don't go running off," Mrs. Weasley held her daughter tight.

"Send us an owl if you suspect _anything_," Remus's voice was low and final.

With final good-byes and a note from Tonks to read on the train, Ginny left those who had come to see her off and weaved her way through the throng of students to find a compartment. Ginny had nearly reached the end of the train when she finally found Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Ginny threw open the door and sat down beside Luna.

"How's Ron?" Neville asked gravely.

Ginny nearly answered "fine", but realized Ron was supposed to be sick with spattergroit.

"I'm not sure," she replied truthfully. "He's still too contagious to be near."

Neville nodded solemnly.

The door of the compartment opened again, and a downfallen Seamus Finnigan stuck his head in.

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys?" he asked. "Dean didn't come back--"

Ginny thought he was going to cry.

"Take a seat, mate," Neville said. He moved closer to the window so Seamus could sit down.

Seamus clumsily entered the compartment, struggling to get his trunk up on the rack. With some help from Ginny, it was secure enough to where he could finally sit down.

Seamus looked at the odd assortment sitting together. He was never particularly close with Neville, and apart from the D.A. lessons, had never spoken two words to Luna. His best mate, Dean, had dated Ginny for a bit, but that was long ago.

"Good holiday, Seamus?" Ginny asked.

Before Seamus could respond, the door opened again. Half-expecting to see the elderly witch with her trolley full of sweets, he was mildly surprised when Ernie Macmillan poked his head around the corner. Behind him was Susan Bones.

"Care for any more company?" Ernie asked. Susan looked slightly embarrassed to be there.

"Please, come in," Ginny said.

"I wouldn't sit there if I were you," Luna said. Ernie jumped at the sound of her voice. "Nargles are waiting to tie your shoe laces together."

Ernie politely thanked Luna for the advice but sat there anyway. Even though the compartment was cramped, it provided company and friendly faces for Ginny, who wished she could be anywhere but here. At least these members of the DA understood how she felt- petrified that Snape was Headmaster, and angry that there was nothing a 6th-year could do about it.

They were nearly halfway to Hogwarts, and the sky was beginning to turn gray before Luna spoke again.

"So, are we still going to have D.A. meetings?" she asked.

Ernie, who was caught up in re-tying his shoelaces, looked up at Luna. Ginny nearly dropped half of her chicken sandwich, and Neville's jaw dropped.

"I don't think that's such a wise idea," Ernie squeaked.

"D'ya want to get us killed?" Seamus asked.

Luna smiled. "I just figured with You-Know-Who really _back_, and Snape is Headmaster, we could use a bit of fun. Although we don't have anyone to run it since Harry isn't here…"

"I think it's a fantastic idea, Luna," Neville said. He looked at Ginny.

"Neville, I don't…" Ginny began.

Neville's pale face began to flush with color. "Think about it. It's just what Snape would _hate_, you know?"

Ginny looked around the compartment. Luna was smiling at Neville as though he had just asked her out on a date. Ernie was shaking his head, and Seamus looked confused.

"This is the sort of thing that could get us into more trouble than we've ever imagined. You-Know-Who is practically running Hogwarts," Seamus said.

"Not if we don't get caught," Neville said.

"What if McGonagall catches you? I'm more afraid of her than I am of Death Eaters," Seamus said, and received a round of laughs from the compartment.

"I suppose it won't hurt," Ginny said slowly. "My brother would be doing it. Harry would be doing it. And Hermione, no doubt."

"For Harry Potter!" Neville raised his pretend-glass high in the air.

The others followed suit, and vowed on that train ride to keep Dumbledore's Army alive, despite the consequences it may bring.

The weather was slightly misting as the group walked off the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade. Hagrid's massive body was near the other end of the platform, but his voice could be heard everywhere.

"Firs' years, this way! New students, towards me, please!"

There was an obvious tone of malcontent in his voice. He wasn't the jolly half-giant Ginny had known at Hogwarts and at home. His entire body, including his face, looked much rougher than Ginny remembered. The frown lines that surrounded his mouth were much more pronounced, as were the lines around his eyes.

Hagrid's attention turned towards Ginny's direction. She gave him a half-wave, to which he returned with a head nod.

"We will need to be quiet about this," Neville whispered as he, Ginny, Luna, Ernie, and Seamus walked towards the horseless carriages.

"Does everyone still have those coins?" Seamus asked.

Ginny's mind wandered through the contents of her trunk. A fake Galleon was somewhere on the bottom, beneath schoolbooks and broken ink bottles and ripped parchment. She thought it would stay silent, and no longer would the numbers near the top rearrange themselves to reveal the next day and time of a D.A. meeting.

With mutters of agreement, the group set out to take their spots on the horseless carriage. Still, only Luna was able to see the thestrals, but Ginny knew they were there. She had flown on them her fifth year, and it was not an experience she would like to have again.

The ride to the castle was cold and uncomfortable, the carriage bobbing and shaking at irregular intervals. Despite her physical closeness to the three others in the carriage, Ginny felt isolated on her way the castle. This year would be different: no Harry, no Ron, no Hermione, no Dumbledore. Ginny couldn't imagine a Hogwarts without Dumbledore, just like she couldn't imagine Severus Snape as Headmaster.

The Great Hall was decorated as always, a starry sky enchanted on the ceiling, tables empty except for the goblets filled with pumpkin juice. After parting with Luna and Ernie, Ginny took a seat at the Gryffindor Table with Neville and Seamus. The table was looking particularly sparse this year without Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dean. The Creevey Brothers looked mortified Harry wasn't among those at the table, and sat by themselves.

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil looked nervous, and kept glancing at the Staff Table. Ginny turned her head to the long oak table. For the first time, all of the teachers looked scared to be there. Professor Flitwick clearly had his wand tightly clenched in his right hand. Professor Trelawney's eyes were bloodshot and her mascara had run down her cheeks. She sniffled often, wiping her tears and her nose with a red handkerchief.

Ginny's eyes scanned the rest of the staff table. She reached the middle of the table and her eyes rested on the two new faces. They were familiar; Ginny was sure she had seen them before. A man and a woman sat beside what would be Professor Snape's chair. The two of them looked so proud to be there in such a high and powerful position. Neither was smiling, however. The two were in deep conversation together, the man's hands moving at such a rapid pace Ginny was beginning to get motion sickness just watching.

Suddenly, the woman stopped talking. Her calculating gaze shifted towards Ginny. Their eyes interlocked for a brief moment before the woman began talking again. It was as if nothing had happened. A chill spread through Ginny's body. She wrapped her arms around her to get warm.

"Alright there, Ginny?" Neville asked. He was fixated on the ginger-haired girl.

Ginny smiled. "Just hungry, that's all."

There was only a few more minutes of waiting before Professor McGonagall led in the first years. The doors to the Great Hall opened. Professor McGonagall was dressed in green billowing robes and a tartan hat. In her hands, she carried a small wooden stool and a sorting hat. Ginny expected to see a group of tiny-sized witches and wizards trailing behind her, scared out of their minds. She did see a large number of frightened students, but some were much older than eleven. Some looked to be Ginny's age, some younger. These were the students who chose not to take a wizarding education.

Professor McGonagall set down the stool and placed the hat upon it. She took a scroll from her robes and called the first name.

"Aberdene, Cillian!"

A red-headed boy of thirteen or fourteen walked to the stool. He looked calm, but his hands shook as he picked up the Sorting Hat. No sooner than the hat reached his head when it cried out—

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table cheered, much more quietly than in years past. Cillian Aberdene took his seat at the Ravenclaw table just as the next young student was walking to the stool. This action repeated over and over until the last sorted student ("ZELDA, MARIE!") was sorted into Hufflepuff. The Gryffindors added nearly twenty new students, thanks to the new education law. Most were the proper age to start Hogwarts, but there were a few new students who were much older. Dinner was then served, owing to the number of empty stomachs in the room.

Dinner was a delicious meal of every food imaginable: turkey and ham, breakfast foods, a numerous assortment of fruits and vegetables, and mouth-watering desserts. Dinner soon ended, and the anticipation grew for Snape's speech. It was customary for the Headmaster to give a speech before the beginning of term. Pofessor Dumbledore's speeches were usually lighthearted, with a friendly reminder of the banned items, a warning to stay out of the Forbidden Forest, and other general announcements.

Professor Snape rose from the table and made his way to the podium that was in front of the staff table. The little chatter that had erupted in the minutes following the sorting now ceased. Headmaster Snape now had the attention of the entire room.

"Another year's welcome to those who returned," he said. His voice was like oil. "And a warm welcome to those who are just joining us."

Ginny nearly snorted. The idea of Severus Snape giving _anyone_ a warm welcome was laughable. She held her tongue, and listened to the man speak.

"A new era in education has begun! There will be several changes to the curriculum--" Headmaster Snape paused, his icy stare glaring at the Hufflepuff table. "Mr. Finch-Fletchy, kindly put away whatever _rubbish_ you are reading and pay attention!"

Ginny glanced over at the Hufflepuff table and saw Justin, Ernie, and Zacharias Smith looking at something under the table. Their heads immediately looked up in horror to see the Headmaster glaring down at them. Justin gulped, and let whatever was in his right hand drop to the floor. His face was pale.

The entire Great Hall watched in horror as the new female teacher sitting at the staff table stood up gracefully and made her way around the table until she was standing shoulder to shoulder next to the new headmaster. She whispered something into Professor Snape's ear. He smiled, but looked utterly defeated. He straightened up, and stepped back. This woman now had the floor.

"Hello, students of Hogwarts! I am Alecto Carrow, your new Muggle Studies teacher. There are several great and exciting changes this year, and it is my _distinct_ pleasure to show one such change to you now." Professor Carrow smiled. "Young man, come up here." She nodded to Justin.

Justin looked terrified. His eyes darted to Ernie's, and then back at Professor Carrow's. She tried to smile sweetly, but only a lopsided grin came out. Justin took a deep drink of whatever was in his cup, and slowly made his way up to the new professor.

He stood stationary in front of her, their eyes meeting. Professor Carrow pulled out her wand, causing Justin to gasp and take a step back. His eyes narrowed, and Justin groped his back pocket to make sure his wand was secure. It was.

"You, young man, are about to learn firsthand the new methods of punishment in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

At the staff table, Alecto's brother Amycus was nearly beside himself with excitement and joy. Professor McGonagall turned sharply to the Headmaster.

"Severus, are you really going to let her do this in front of the students!" she hissed.

"Are you questioning me, Professor McGonagall? Would you like to be next?"

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes and watched in horror as Justin Finch-Fletchy, a rather normal and average student hers, was made extraordinary by being the first student in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be punished by means of the Cruciatus Curse.

Justin twitched in pain on the ground. His screams echoed off the castle walls, reverberating to give each and every student a horrible imprint of his voice. The curse stopped, and Justin lay panting on the cool stone floors. Ginny felt herself let out a breath of air once the new face at the staff table stumbled forward.

"I am Amycus Carrow, your new Dark Arts teacher! Along with my sister and I, Alecto, I look forward to giving you all _valuable_ resources in your magical education!" His enthusiasm was only felt within himself and his sister. With the exceptions sitting at the Slytherin Table, not one student shared his sentiments.

Near silence pervaded the walk back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny kept close to Neville, the closest thing to a boyfriend and a brother she had left. The chatter among the mass of Gryffindors was sparse, only the excited first years were the ones who could bear to talk.

"I wonder what's happened to Justin," Neville muttered.

Ginny shrugged. "He looked pretty beat up. Probably-- AARGH!"

At that moment, Ginny had to shield herself from the water balloons Peeves was currently throwing in her direction. Ducking behind a suit of armor, she watched in horror as Neville tripped on the wet stone floor, landing on his right wrist. With a deafening _crack_!, his wrist broke.

"Not again!" Neville moaned. He cradled his broken wrist with his good arm. Peeves zoomed away, cackling.

"Come on, Neville. I'll take you to the Hospital Wing," Ginny said. She helped him up, careful to keep her own balance on the wet floor, and the two fought their way against the crowd to the hospital wing. The hospital wing was on the third floor, only a short distance away from where Peeves's attack took place. Ginny pushed through the oak door and entered the Hospital Wing.

She was greeted with mass amounts of white: white curtains, white bedding, even Madam Pomfrey's uniform was all white. Ginny expected to see the ward empty, the only sign of movement coming from the open office door in the left corner. However, Justin Finch-Fletchley had taken up the bed in the farthest right corner. Madam Pomfrey was on one side, Professor Sprout on the other, and Professor McGonagall was standing at the foot of the bed.

"I can't believe he has the _audacity_ of using such a spell in this school! This is an unethical practice!" Madam Pomfrey cried violently. She dabbed some ointment on Justin's forehead.

"There's nothing I can do, Poppy," Professor McGonagall said.

"We have to protect our students. We've had much stronger witches and wizards go insane because of this! Look at the poor Longbottoms. And now—they're bringing this into our school?"

The grip Neville had on Ginny's shoulder loosened considerably.

"The Ministry of Magic has passed legislature in its favor. My hands are tied, Poppy." For the first time, Professor McGonagall sounded defeated.

Ginny looked at Neville. He looked on the verge of tears; he was biting his bottom lip so hard he started to draw blood.

"Come on. Let's get you fixed up."

Ginny escorted Neville to Madam Pomfrey. Professor Sprout immediately spotted them and drew the curtains around Justin.

"I was wondering when I would see you here, Mr. Longbottom. Did you have a good holiday?" Madam Pomfrey said, bustling the two over to the other side of the room.

"Just fine," Neville replied. "Peeves was throwing water balloons as we were going up to Gryffindor Tower. I slipped and broke my fall with my wrist."

"That you did. Here, have some chocolate."

Madam Pomfrey shoved half a chocolate bar at Neville. He took it with his good hand and shoved a piece in his mouth.

"The only good thing about the hospital wing," Neville said, and smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you then," Ginny said.

Neville leaned back and placed his head on the pillow. His broken wrist was against his chest.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" Neville asked. "I mean—is Harry--?"

Ginny failed to answer. Her cheeks flushed. She turned away, staring down at the ground. Madam Pomfrey came back, throwing open the curtains.

"Good night to you, Miss Weasley. Mr. Longbottom, you'll be spending the night in the hospital wing."

"I figured as much," Neville muttered.

Ginny waved good-bye. She turned on her heel and left the infirmary. The castle was quiet and dark at this hour of night. The torches on the wall were barely burning. The portraits were asleep with only their snores heard throughout the castle. A shiver crept up Ginny's spine.

"A student out of bed already?" the voice came from behind her.

Ginny stopped mid-step. She turned around slowly, finding herself face-to-face with Alecto Carrow. Alecto Carrow looked much tougher and meaner close up. Her large stature was intimidating and the slight hunch she had in her back made her look like she towered over Ginny.

"I-I-I was just in the Hospital Wing, Professor Carrow. Neville Longbottom broke his wrist and he needed help getting there. He looked awful, I thought he was going to pass out," Ginny explained.

Alecto Carrow narrowed her eyes. "You're a Weasley, aren't you?"

Ginny stood up straight. "I am."

"I think it's time you lot learned your place. And right now, your place shouldn't be out of bed. This is a punishable offense!"

"She's with me, Alecto." Professor McGonagall had left the hospital wing and was now striding towards the professor.

"Why weren't you with her, Minerva? You know the rules. No students shall be out of bed past curfew unless accompanied by a teacher. Miss Weasley was clearly-"

Professor McGonagall's nostrils were flaring. "She's with me. She brought a friend to the Hospital Wing. I am a teacher and I am escorting her back to Gryffindor Tower. Good night, Alecto."

Professor McGonagall grabbed Ginny's arm much harder that she should have and the two walked along the dark corridor. Ginny made several attempts to speak, but was met with a quiet "_Shh!_" from her Transfiguration Professor. Once the two had rounded the corridor and were on a flight of stairs to the fourth floor did communication begin.

"So this is really true? They can use the Cruciatus Curse on students?" Ginny said quietly.

"Another educational decree, I'm afraid," Professor McGonagall said.

"Will Justin be okay?"

"His wounds were minor, just a few scrapes. He was lucky," she replied.

Ginny nodded and swallowed hard. She knew the end had come—she no longer felt safe at Hogwarts. That thought alone made her want to cry, but crying in front of Professor McGonagall was not the place to do it.

"I would refrain from having D.A. meetings, Miss Weasley. It's too dangerous to risk. The Carrows know which students have the potential to cause major disruptions." Her eyes peered from behind her spectacles down at Ginny.

"I've fought Death Eaters before. So has Neville, so has Luna… so have a load of other D.A. members. We can handle the Carrows," Ginny said defiantly.

"Should you all get caught, not only will you have to answer to the Carrows, but you will have to answer to me, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall warned.

"I understand the consequences of my own actions, Professor. I am willing to take the risk."

Professor McGonagall was silent. Ginny was sure Professor McGonagall was thinking of the many reasons she could give Ginny a month's worth of detentions. Ginny mentally prepared herself for this upcoming year without Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Her safety net had left. Ginny was determined to play by her own rules.

"I want to know nothing of your meetings. Rest assured, I will not help you should or any other member get caught," Professor McGonagall said finally.

"I understand."

The two walked in silence up the final set of stairs. Ginny reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and realized she didn't know the password.

"Have you heard anything from your brother?" Professor McGonagall said quietly.

"My brother has spattergroit, Professor." Ginny looked down at her feet.

"Fred and George showed me. A fantastic bit of magic," she said.

Ginny sighed. "No one has heard anything. Not from Ron, not from Hermione, not from Harry. They could be dead for all we know. Dad told them not to contact us, but he reckons they're at Grimmauld Place."

"That's not safe. Severus knows--"

"We've all thought about that. That's the only place they can hide."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "The password is 'amissio'. Good night, Miss Weasley, and please be careful."

Ginny nodded. "I will be, Professor. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."

Ginny stepped inside the portrait hole, sat down, and began to cry.


End file.
